Excess moisture within food storage containers can cause premature spoilage of food products which are stored in the container because the moisture provides a favorable environment for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. Excess moisture in a food storage container also can lead to leakage of fluids from the storage container which can cause contamination of other foods and items about the container.
Attempts at controlling excess moisture in food storage containers, such as trays (rigid and flexible) and bags, have met with some success. These prior art devices include: (1) pre-formed trays or bags configured for the insertion of absorbent material such as absorbent pads or absorbent sheets with the food products resting on the absorbent material; (2) trays with built-in reservoirs arranged to trap excess moisture exuded from the products, with some of the trays including a porous cover over the reservoirs that allows fluids to drain from the product through the cover into the reservoir but which retards the fluids from reemerging past the cover following shaking or movement of the tray; and (3) trays or packs made from multiple layers of material with one layer being liquid impervious, and a second layer being liquid pervious to allow fluids to enter, and an absorbent media sandwiched between the two layers to absorb and retain the entering fluids.
Many of the food storage containers described above are sized to contain produce for at least two servings, primarily because of the demand for this size, but also because of the cost of marketing smaller sized products. But there is an increasing demand for smaller portions of foods from the food markets, particularly for products that exude liquids, such as fruits that are cut to remove the peeling or other exterior surface and to expose the interior of the food, so that the purchaser can inspect the product before purchasing the product, and so the purchaser does not have to remove the peeling, etc. from the edible portions of the food product.
Also, there is an increasing demand for “snack” foods in smaller servings in transparent containers so that the food is visually exposed and displayed and the person that is to eat the food can inspect the food before eating. In many situations the person will eat the food directly from the container, so the retention of the liquid exuded from the food in the container becomes even more important, to avoid spilling the liquid. Also, with the recent focus on obesity there is a need for single servings of fruit and vegetable.
Therefore, there exists a need for devices and methods that address these and other shortcomings of the prior art.